It hopes the ‘Pick the Bucket’ website will break down the barriers of distrust and disengagement between donors in the UK and those who benefit from their generosity in the developing world.

Anyone who uses the website to make a donation will receive a report back detailing how their money was spent, who benefited and what the outcomes were.

Users are given a choice of projects to choose from, ranging from small-scale projects costing under £50 to larger-scale projects costing hundreds of pounds. They can then opt to ‘fund it now’ – pay for it completely – or contribute towards the costs by joining with other online donors.

Some buckets are ‘debate’ buckets, requiring donors to choose exactly which project ends up with the funds, just like in real life when there are many needs and not enough money to go round.

If a user donates to a bucket that is not filled within the required time, the donation will be returned to their account and can then be offered to another project instead.

The website is ideal for cynics who think charitable giving is ineffective, the disillusioned who think their money will be wasted on UK overheads and international corruption, and anyone who would just like to know where their donations end up.

Global Care chief executive John White said: “We don’t want to just ‘take people’s money and run’. We want to engage people and show them in a very different, accountable way what a huge difference their giving can make.

“We also hope the reporting process will give them an insight into the true realities of aid and development, hopefully inspiring them to further efforts.”

Online: www.pickthebucket.org.uk